


An unusual arangement

by Binarybee



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Big bang 2017, M/M, non-binary Chrollo, set between the Yorkshin and Greed Island arcs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-22 15:36:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10699959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Binarybee/pseuds/Binarybee
Summary: Following the events of the Yorkshin auction, Chrollo takes it upon themselves to take a vacation from the troupe. However without the use of nen Chrollo soon realizes the downside to being without the spider. As a solution they hire Illumi to act as protection from any unwanted attacks, however soon Illumi realizes Chrollo hired him less for protection, and more for his company.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My entry for the HxH Big Bang~ This ended a lot less violent and a lot less sexual than it intended to be, but I hope people enjoy regardless.

The past week had been rather hectic for Illumi, the work life of an assassin of course was always busy, but it became much more interesting when two different spiders had hired him.  
It was Illumi who had contacted Chrollo to begin with after finding out that his father and grandfather were employed to take down the Phantom Troupe. And knowing Silva's disdain for the Ryodan, it would end in bloodshed one way or another.  
The solution was simple, Chrollo would pay Illumi to take out the Ten Dons, Chrollo would escape mostly unscathed and Illumi with a hefty sum of money in his bank account. It would be a race as to who would complete their job first, Silva and Zeno in taking out Chrollo, or Illumi in eliminating the Ten Dons.  
He took Kalluto along for experience, the youngest assassin adamant in proving that he could handle a more experienced job. Kalluto had done well, taking out six armed security guards before Illumi had even entered the building, he felt a swell of pride, his younger brother had grown so much. The Ten Dons hadn't anticipated an unguarded attack, their bodies soon disposed as Kalluto kept watch, soon Illumi had relayed to Silva that the dons were dead and Chrollo free to walk without much more than a few scratches, well, a few scratches by Zoldyck standards. 

Illumi however, hadn’t anticipated Hisoka needing his help. The magician was independent as could be, but clung like a cat when given attention, he even purred in his sleep at times, though those moments were perhaps too intimate to be shared. Regardless, whilst Hisoka was a clown he was the closest Illumi had to a friend, and a trustworthy ally at times, he would prove fruitful to keep around, (though Hisoka would tease him if he knew he used such a phrase) and if Illumi helped him out, Hisoka would owe him a favour. 

_This is the perfect chance to fight the boss, but if I leave, the boss will die. Lend me a hand ~ <3_

Illumi had rolled his eyes typing out a response, tongue pointing at the screen in scorn, Hisoka had a way with words, and his emoticons bothered Illumi to no end, it was bad enough Killua and Kalluto had discovered cat emoji’s.  
“Illu-nii?” Illumi blinked and turned is attention to his youngest sibling vaguely aware he was still poking his tongue out at his phone, Kalluto looking up at him eyes slightly widened with interest and slight amusement. 

“I require your assistance for a little longer, once it's done you can meet Father and Grandfather at the airport. I’ll be staying in Yorkshin for a little longer.” Kalluto nodded dutifully as he stood, adjusting his kimono slightly from coming undone, they could be awfully stubborn to fight in, but Kalluto had taken to it like a duckling to water, and Mother had been so proud of him.

It wasn't hard to find the Troupe hideout with the use of gyo, Kalluto had helped by being a distraction allowing Illumi to swap places with Hisoka. Illumi was more surprised that Hisoka had two of the same outfits in his closet, he had little time to dwell on it, the tacky feeling of texture surprise pressed on his cheeks to match Hisoka's own. The magician grinned, undoubtedly thinking of the joy he could have with his own double, but Illumi paid him no mind, he had to concentrate. It was more tedious masquerading as Hisoka, Illumi loathed the feeling of short hair and heels, but a job was a job and money was money. The past three days had been very profitable so Illumi bared with it, perhaps next week he would treat himself to a trip to the hair salon. 

It was after two hours when Illumi had received a text from Hisoka, lacking the tacky emoticons, he frowned at the screen, Hisoka must have been denied his fight, or something worse had occurred for him to drop his childish text style. Slipping out without the Troupe noticing had been easier than he imagined, more focused on a pressing issue Illumi didn't care about, as long as Killua was safe that was all he needed to worry about. 

\--

It was two days later when he received contact from Chrollo. Illumi had stayed in Yorkshin for the week, it allowed him some time away from family and a chance to monitor Killua, who seemed too interested in a video game than the family business. Bothering Hisoka proved to have no success, the clown was uninterested in meeting up, his attention elsewhere, Illumi had never seen him so distant, perhaps Chrollo would have some answers as to why.  
Chrollo had been vague with their messages too, it seemed something had occurred during the Yorkshin auction, Illumi had been too caught up with jobs that it wasn't until the auction was over did he realise the extent of the bounty on the Ryodan’s head. 

Illumi shut his eyes briefly, brushing off his wondering thoughts,, it would do him some good to relax, but the life of an assassin was hectic, one had to be aware of their surroundings at all time, it would be naive to lose concentration. Perhaps a five minute nap wouldn't be so bad...  
Almost immediately he was jolted awake by the vibration of his phone, Illumi opened one eye as he checked his messages, surprised to find it was Chrollo contacting him. Hopefully the thief would be able to answer the questions Illumi had been too focused on.

6:28 Chrollo: Are you free?  
6:29 Illumi: Yes, do you require my services?  
6:30 Chrollo: For a few months, I can pay up front.  
6:31 Illumi: What do you need me for?  
6:34 Chrollo: Company.

\--

He found Chrollo in the middle of the desert, sitting alone on the edge of a cliff, sunset silhouetting their form, it was almost picturesque if the situation didn't seem so cataclysmic, Illumi begged to wonder what could have caused such a change in their demeanor. Usually accompanied by the Troupe, it was odd to find Chrollo alone, especially in such an isolated location, Illumi would have been wary of an attack if there had been any nearby presences. But that was the odd thing, there were no other presence besides his own in the canyon, not even Chrollo’s. 

It was quiet as Illumi sat down, joining Chrollo on the cliff side, legs crossed as they admired the view, he wasn't one for small talk, but Illumi could sense something was wrong, Chrollo quiet, aura dull, almost as if it wasn't there.  
"I hope my father and grandfather were not too harsh on you." He began, unsure of what to say.

Chrollo let out a hum, deft fingers tapping against their chin in though. "It was uneventful, the chain user packed more of a punch." They joked, humor dry, Illumi tilted his head in question. 

"Ah, Killua's friend?"  
The last word said with such disdain, there was a brief expression of surprise that passed over Chrollo's face, turning slightly towards Illumi, body inclined towards the assassin. "We have files on everyone. I was aware he was the survivor of the Kurta massacre but I was unaware of his involvement until now." 

Chrollo remained silent for a moment before responding. "Hm, I thought it might have been Killua, it seems I'm slowly meeting all of your family, how many siblings do you have?" They were ignoring the issue at hand, perhaps something had occurred with the Kurta Illumi thought, his strength wasn’t enough to rival the Troupe, but it seemed Kurapika had nen strong enough to do some damage, to the extent of which Illumi had yet to find out.

"Three brothers,” Illumi replied. “You haven't met Millu or Kallu, or Mother but she rarely leaves the mansion.” 

"Perhaps we should take a trip to visit them."

Illumi narrowed his eyes cautious of the thief's motives. Chrollo could be finicky at times, a killer smile, charming front to hide their ulterior motives filling the conditions to gain one's abilities, they would have to pull a grand scheme in order to gain a Zoldyck's power.  
"What exactly are you trying to achieve? Do you wish to steal my families abilities? It will be uneventful."

"I'm asking as a friend to spend time with you, I've been advised to spend some time away from the troupe. Call it a vacation of sorts.”

Illumi, quick to deter that he had friends, was swift to correct.  
"Assassin's don't have friends, you are an acquaintance, business partner at most."

Chrollo’s knowing smile didn't change, did they find Illumi’s antics humorous? Assassin’s didn't have friends. Hisoka was the closest thing Illumi had to a friend, Chrollo a close second, aside from those two Illumi didn’t spare his company with anyone else, friends were not allowed in the Zoldyck household. Yet Killua had Gon- but that was an issue to be dealt with in due time.

“Then I'll hire you, as a bodyguard for several months. You would still be able to complete certain jobs but you would have to spend all your time with me.”  
It would be costly, but utterly worth it in the end. Being a thief had it’s perks, that being the stolen loot, so Chrollo had managed to gain a lot of wealth under their belt, the Yorkshin auction had been very fruitful indeed.

“You are capable of protecting yourself against danger, what are you not telling me?”

Chrollo let out a huff of amusement, Illumi could be so clueless at times, it was cute almost.

“The chain user, he sealed my nen,” There was a pause as the words settled in, Illumi’s eyes widened a fraction, that would explain why Chrollo’s aura was so nullified. “So I must rely on physical strength until we find a way to reverse its effects.”

It also explained why Hisoka had been so down, he had been unable to fight Chrollo, to get the chaos and pain he desired, he was probably sulking right now or taking his anger out on whatever unsuspecting victim came across his way, Hisoka could act like a toddler during a tantrum at times. Illumi could only guess that the Troupe were doing all they could to get Chrollo’s nen back, but to find a nen exorcist was easier said than done, there were many that could heal nen but few who could rectify the conditions put in place.  
Illumi nodded his head and stood, brushing the dust off the back of his trousers with a fluid motion, he stared ahead towards the setting sun.

“Its getting late, we should get back then.”

It was the closest Chrollo was going to get to a direct yes, so they took it as it was, standing up to join Illumi, ignoring the creak in their bones for sitting for so long, perhaps it wasn't the best idea to watch both the sunrise and sunset in the same position. Chrollo cast one last glance at the setting sun, orange now bleeding into a dark blue before turning to face Illumi.

“Lead the way,” It seemed the next two months were going to be very interesting indeed.


	2. Chapter 2

"If this is your attempt to poison me, it is futile."

Chrollo raised an eyebrow, messy hair falling into their eyes slightly, lips pursed in an almost pout, it seemed getting Illumi to trust them would be more difficult than they had first imagined.  
For almost the entirety of their life, Chrollo had used their charms to gain trust of others. Charisma came as a second nature, a faux disguise to hide their true intentions. Paired with deft fingers and a smile that could kill, it was easy to understand how Chrollo had made their way in life. Yet despite their charming nature and they had yet to convinced Illumi that they weren't poisoning him.

"Look," They began bringing the cup closer, the smell of artificial lychee following the pale drink, straw pressed to their pursed lips as they drank. "If I was trying to poison you I wouldn't have drunk it myself."  
Illumi narrowed his eyes slightly before curiosity got the better of him, if the drink was tainted he was curious to see what would be Chrollo's choice of poison, usually they were so direct with their murders. He accepted the drink ruefully, frowning at the bright colour and sweet smell of the drink. Cautiously Illumi drank, the sickly sweet taste of fruit hitting his taste buds like a tidal wave, but to his surprise it wasn't poisoned.  
"Its called Bubble Tea, you're supposed to eat the tapioca pearls too." Chrollo explained watching with a small smile as Illumi chewed the pearls with interest, as if he was deciding if he liked them, it was cute in all honesty.

"You have a sweet tooth." Was Illumi’s response handing the drink back, as he ran his tongue across his lips trying to chase away the taste of jasmine and sharp lychee. Chrollo let out a hum of amusement, happy to sip on the sweet mixture as the two walked shoulder to shoulder.

It had been nearly a week since Chrollo had employed Illumi, and to his surprise Chrollo could be the most mundane person. They spent most of their time reading or lounging around watching documentaries, it wasn't until Illumi prompted them did Chrollo remember to eat, and even then their fridge entirely consisted of sweets and take out containers. Illumi felt more like he was babysitting than being a bodyguard, Chrollo had insisted that Illumi joined them for meals and had even offered their bed for Illumi to sleep on, it was similar to two friends during a sleepover.  
However, after four days of staying inside locked up like a hermit, Chrollo had eventually decided to leave their home if only for a bit of spending. Currently Illumi was being dragged around various shops, his second opinion being most important to Chrollo as they rummaged through the dimly lit store.

"What do you think?"  
Illumi turned his attention to Chrollo snapping out of his thoughts, Chrollo standing in front of him held two identical shirts in their hands, both black button downs with golden accents, the colours complementing Chrollo’s pale skin. Illumi blinked and compared the two, aside from one being half a shade lighter than the other, there was no real difference. 

"The left." Was his reply but it didn't make a difference either way, Chrollo pursed their lips examining the shirts once again before folding both over their arm and continuing through the shop. 

"I'll get both."  
Illumi felt the urge to roll his eyes, this was nearly as bad as when his mother took him shopping as a child, except in this case he was getting paid for it. It was definitely different than what he was used to, he had done bodyguard work before, usually for high risk targets at grand occasions, but never something like this. It was a nice change, Illumi thought as he watched Chrollo talk to an assistant, several items of clothing laid across their arm, the assistant nodded and left for the back room. Being a bodyguard for Chrollo felt more like a vacation of sorts, that was until the thief began to cause trouble.  
“Are you ready to go?” Chrollo asked, grey eyes alight with amusement, Illumi narrowed his eyes in suspicion, something was up.

“You’ve paid already?”  
Chrollo grinned in response, grabbing Illumi by his sleeve to lead him out the store, despite being as morally corrupt as they were, Illumi could be so oblivious at times, naive to Chrollo’s true nature. 

“I’m a thief,” They said plainly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Why would I pay when I could just steal?”

Illumi, realistically, should have expected this kind of behaviour, especially from a world renowned thief such as Chrollo. But he really didn’t have a place to talk himself, Illumi broke laws almost daily, it was part of his job, but Chrollo could argue just the same, felony was second nature, and morality not an issue.

Despite being employed by Chrollo, targets and jobs kept coming in. Assassination was a very profitable business of course, and when you were as well known as the Zoldyck’s, there was never a shortage of jobs, someone always wanted a politician stabbed, a business woman poisoned or a partner taken out, the working world could be so competitive sometimes.  
Currently he was on a mission, single target, to be eliminated with a bullet from a sniper rifle nearly a mile away. If he was honest, firearms were not Illumi’s favourite method of murder, they were loud and obvious, so simple a child could use, but of course Illumi knew how to shoot a gun before the age of five, so his opinion to begin with was biased. Yet it had been a while since a job had required a rifle and Illumi took it as a chance to brush up on his marksman skills. Chrollo had joined him out of boredom, deciding it would be fun to see the assassin work up close, however not even ten minutes later upon arriving at the abandoned location, Chrollo grew bored again, plucking out their phone to entertain themselves, it allowed Illumi to have some time to think, jobs like this could be so relaxing, a way to clear his head and concentrate more on important matters without distractions.

"Oh, do you mind if I use your phone? Mine just died."  
That would be, if certain distractions weren't so interested in occupying themselves..

Illumi chewed his bottom lip in thought momentarily, whilst his phone didn't contain anything that could be considered incriminating, aside from a few lewd texts from Hisoka, but that man was lewd in general, it was a case of whether he trusted Chrollo enough, they were too finicky for their own good. After a moment of deliberation Illumi pulled his phone out his pocket, unlocking it out of view, before passing it to Chrollo, and turned his attention back to the building in front of him he was monitoring.  
Chrollo mumbled out a sweet thank you, eyes downcast as they continued with their task at hand. 

It was six minutes later when Illumi realised that Chrollo had yet to return his phone. His eyes narrowed and Illumi gave the briefest glance to Chrollo before turning his eyes back on his target's location, he couldn't stand for a distraction during this crucial time.  
"What are you doing?"

"Reading." Was Chrollo's immediate response, face close to the dimly lit screen, eyes scanning the page, deft fingers scrolling down quickly. "I bought a book, I hope you don't mind, I'll delete it once I've finished."

Illumi felt the need to roll his eyes again. Of course Chrollo lived up to their nen namesake, they devoured books as a hobby, Illumi presumed Chrollo had used up their own phone battery whilst reading, he just hoped they wouldn't use up his own.  
They settled into an easy silence, the repetitive tap of nails against the phone screen being the only noise echoing around the abandoned room. Eventually, Illumi’s curiosity got the better of him, his subtle glances towards Chrollo would have been noticed if they weren’t so invested in the book. 

"What are you reading?" Illumi asked after a few minutes of toying with his mind, it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Chrollo kept their eyes focused on the screen, thumb pausing its scroll as they spoke. "It’s about a fairy king who finds a lost human, they become enchanted with each other and consequently murder a Monarch for love."  
Illumi let out a soft hum of acknowledgement, now focused again on the hotel foyer he was surveying, target nowhere to be seen.  
"Do you read?" He hadn’t expected Chrollo to continue talking, to show interest and ask him a question, but it made sense seeing they were skilled in multitasking, even when so fully invested in reading material.

"I've studied the classics; Shakespeare, Bronte sisters, some of Nabokov and Tolstoy works."

Chrollo peered over the edge of the phone, screen resting against their chin as they surveyed Illumi, hair falling slightly in their eyes. The assassin kept his eyes on the task at hand, surveillance could be such a tedious job, but looking away for even a second could ruin an opportunity.  
"In Russian I presume? I didn't know you were fluent."

"Part Russian on my father's side, I'm fluent in several languages, but I would suspect you are too," There was something close to a smirk on Illumi's lips, catching Chrollo's eyes briefly almost as if it was flirting, or the closest the assassin could get to flirting. Chrollo returned the smirk and moved closer, bumping shoulders with Illumi as they sat together, previous novel now forgotten, it had been a while since they’d had such a discussion on literature or language.

"English, Latin, German, Hebrew, French and Japanese of course, but not Russian." There was a shift as Chrollo rested their arms on the window ledge, head resting on their arms to admire Illumi's face, not a hair out of place. "Would you teach me one day? I know it’s a rather hard language to learn but I'm a fast learner."

Illumi narrowed his dark eyes slightly in concentration, fingers tightening around the rifle in his hands. Chrollo moved with him, turning to look out the window to find the target exiting the hotel. The shot was easy to line up, they were over a mile away but Illumi trusted his choice in weapons, he was trained of course, the best in his family with firearms if he was to boast, although he usually preferred being up close and personal with kills. He caught Chrollo’s eye momentarily, watching curiously besides him.

“That can-” There was a pause as Illumi pulled the trigger, hitting his target without even a glance in their direction. “That can be arranged, I’m sure you’l pick it up rather easily.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chrollo is relatable because I to spend all my money on bubble tea and books


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is not beta'd currently, I will updated it with corrections shortly, apologies for any errors

It had been nearly a month since Chrollo had employed Illumi and during that time the two had grown closer, Chrollo’s surprise, Illumi had proven to be great company. He had a sense of humour, albeit morbid and hard to get at times, but Chrollo had enjoyed the time together and accompanying Illumi on his jobs had been insightful, perhaps it would be useful to have an assassin in the troupe. 

“I have to return back to Kukuroo mountain next week, will you be accompanying me?” Illumi announced over dinner, the two dining in an upstate Yorkshin restaurant, as a Zoldyck he had grown up on quality cuisine his entire life, and having never learnt how to cook either, Illumi made it a weekly event to take Chrollo to their favourite restaurants.   
Chrollo let out a hum, wearing a clean cut suit they leaned forward on the table, elbows resting on it despite how many times Illumi chastised them for it. “I think the main question is, will I be allowed to accompany you? Silva and I aren't exactly on the best of terms as you know.”

It was a severe understatement, Silva’s disdain for the Ryodan was well known, it was forbidden for the Zoldyck children to interact with the Troupe. Illumi was the only exception having known Chrollo, and Hisoka, although he didn't really count now, before knowing they were part of the Ryodan. 

“I’ve talked it through with Father, explained the deal we have and as long as you don’t attempt anything, you are allowed on the property. But I must keep you within my sights at all times.” It was a fair agreement really, if left alone Chrollo would make out with half the Zoldyck library under their arm and an assortment of jewelry in their pockets. It was really too tempting not to steal from the World's most renowned criminal family. 

The trip to Kukuroo mountain had been quiet, neither having much to say to one another yet the peaceful silence had been welcomed, it allowed time to think.   
The testing gates opened with ease, Illumi’s strength proving he could handle the 6th gate, Chrollo wondered how long it would take for Illumi to open the 7th, the final gate budging as it was. Mike had met them along the way, the beastly dog proving loyal to his master and gentle scratches behind his ear, Illumi seemed pleased to see him. Canary had offered the two a polite nod as they passed her, Chrollo could feel curious eyes watch them as they passed but paid it no mind, they could probably take Canary in a fight even without nen, Illumi’s cautious glance acted as a warning. 

Kikyo had greeted them at the main entrance of the mansion, the cold calculating stare of her visor pierced through Chrollo’s soul, as if she was trying to predict their every move. It felt similar to mother hen protecting her young, although Kikyo was far from a small bird, a proud lioness seemed more fitting. Kalluto almost tucked behind the flare of Kikyo’s dress, arms folded in his kimono sleeves patiently waiting to be spoken too. 

“It’s lovely to meet you,” Chrollo had offered, their smile as genuine as it could be, bowing slightly as they took Kikyo’s hand in their own and kissed her knuckles. If it wasn't for the bandages covering her face, the smallest of blushes would have filtered onto Kikyo’s face, always charmed so easily by the pretty and the young. Their eyes soon turned to Kalluto who was watching with interest, quiet but always listening. “And you must be Kalluto.” The youngest Zoldyck nodded curtly, tilting his head slightly as he examined Chrollo, they didn't seem like the type to be the leader of a gang of notorious criminals, but looks of course were deceiving, and Kalluto himself didn't seem like the type to be an assassin. “Illumi’s mentioned how proud he is of your training.”

Kalluto smiled warmly glancing up at Illumi to see if this was true, but all attention was soon brought back to Kikyo as she cleared her throat, her children standing to attention at the motion.   
“Illumi, you have mentioned family business to this… associate of yours?”

The atmosphere turned tense, Illumi remained impassive as ever despite the overwhelming aura coming from Kikyo, Chrollo soon realising that the mother of the Zoldyck household was just as much as a force to be reckoned with as Silva. Illumi opened his mouth explain but before he could Chrollo stepped in, eager to clear the tension they had caused.   
“He’s only mentioned how proud he is of his siblings, Illumi refuses to answer any questions I have.” 

Kikyo seemed unlikely to back down, lips in a thin tense line, yet reluctantly she stepped down, perhaps she would have a word with Illumi later.   
“Very well, I’ll let you continue on then, Father wishes to speak with you Illumi, you don't want to keep him waiting, do you?” Her tone was laced with disappointment, and Chrollo swallowed nervously, no wonder Illumi was so quiet about family matters if this was what he had to deal with regularly. 

Illumi had led them out of the grand entrance and up two flights of stairs, passing several butlers who bowed at Illumi’s mere presence, he paid them no mind. “She doesn't seem like mother of the year to me.” Chrollo had mumbled mainly to themself once they had gotten out of earshot from Kikyo, Illumi could only glare halfheartedly at Chrollo, they weren’t entirely wrong. 

“She only does what is best for the family.” It was true to an extent, giving birth to five children and raising four assassins was not an easy task, Kikyo had to remain stern and strict towards her children. Failure was not an option and there was always room for improvement, she expected perfection, and she received perfection, well, at least from two of her children.

“What's best or what she thinks is best?”   
Illumi bit his lip and stayed silent, hair falling over his face slightly, Chrollo’s previous point seemed to stand then. “Regardless, Kalluto seems lovely.”

“He is, I am proud of his improvement. Kallu needs to have more experience outside of the manor but Mother is reluctant to let him leave her side, especially since Killu left.” Often overshadowed by his siblings, the youngest assassin had unrecognised potential yet to be explored. Kalluto, a manipulator like his oldest sibling and Mother, was adept in tracking and torture, two skills essential for being an assassin, his nen still needed a lot of improvement, but as a Zoldyck Kalluto proved to be a quick learner. “A few obscure jobs would be beneficial, as well as finding someone to strengthen his nen.”

“Well,” Chrollo said catching Illumi’s eye, hair falling in their eyes as they smiled. “Maybe I’ll see if I can find a job for Kalluto with the troupe.”  
Illumi hummed in thought, slowing his pace to talk more leisurely with Chrollo. It would be risky to get Kalluto associated with the troupe, it seemed almost all of the Zoldyck children were getting involved with them in one way or another, but Kikyo would throw a fit if she heard, Silva would be more lenient however…

Speak of the devil, Illumi was brought out of his thoughts at the sound of someone calling his name, he turned to find Silva at the other end of the corridor advancing towards them in quick even strides. His pace slowed upon noticing Chrollo was with Illumi, Silva frowned and Illumi rolled his eyes knowing the theatrics were about to start. 

There was no mistaking the palpable tension as Silva and Chrollo made eye contact, smirk filtering onto the thief's lips, hand reaching behind their back to grab the hidden benz knife, of course Chrollo brought a weapon to the Zoldyck Mansion, who wouldn't? Silva watched them like a predator, eyes focused on every move not knowing what to expect. 

“Lucilfer.”  
“Silva.”

Despite their lack of nen, Chrollo’s smile betrayed no nervousness, Silva’s frown deepened. He had the upper hand here, Chrollo unaware of the layout of the Zoldyck mansion, not the mention the butlers and other Zoldyck family members would aid in a fight if one persisted, he doubted Chrollo would be so reckless, but the thief's unnerving smile made him wary. 

Illumi was quick to step in,hand resting on the inside of Chrollo’s arm, almost as if he was establishing dominance, possession even. “Could we not? Chrollo has agreed not to cause trouble whilst here. They are a guest after all.” The word guest seemed to diffuse the situation, Silva stepping backwards and crossing his arms, he gave Illumi a pointed look brows raised, in which Illumi nodded firmly, a silent agreement. Chrollo could only wonder what the exchange meant. 

“There is a sauna and hot springs outside, as our guest you are welcome to use the facilities.” Silva said refusing to take his eyes off Chrollo, he was being civil aside from the menacing aura acting as threat. Chrollo smiled their mona lisa smile, a smile that read serene to most but was undoubtedly sinister to others and nodded curtly. If Silva was going to play nice, they would two, that didn't mean however they couldn't cause trouble whilst Silva wasn't watching, they were a master thief after all. 

“Thank you, I’ll leave you to your father son chat. You know where to mind me when you’re done Illumi.”

\--

As he expected, Illumi did not find Chrollo in the hot springs, but instead the thief, who acted more like a cat burglar in the manor, had made their way to Illumi’s room, sifting their way through the various photos and trinkets littered across Illumi’s desk. 

“I never knew you had short hair,” They muttered as Illumi entered the room, Chrollo clad in a pair of leggings and shirt borrowed from Illumi, hair damp from the hot springs dripping water onto the carpet. It seemed Chrollo had made themself at home, several pillows from Illumi’s bed had been rearranged on the floor into a nest, the three books Chrollo had brought besides it as well as a bag of sweets. Illumi could spot a variety of his mother's jewelry hidden halfheartedly under Chrollo’s discarded jacket, it seemed the thief had been too tempted like a child in a candy store, and old habits die hard. 

“For a brief period of time yes.” Illumi huffed, only slightly annoyed by the nest by the side of his bed, he was more amused really, only have being gone an hour at most and yet Chrollo had already made themselves a makeshift fort. 

“You sound irritated, did the talk with your father not go well?”   
There was a shuffle as Illumi made his way to the bed falling back on it with a loud thump, eyes shut and hair fanning out like a halo around his head, Chrollo fought back a laugh. 

Illumi made a noise of agreement. “It was fine, family can just be…” He trailed off, distracted as Chrollo sat down besides him on the bed, knees bumping together. 

“Hectic? Stressful? Neurotic in some cases.”

Illumi cracked open one eye catching Chrollo’s glance, their hair no longer dripping wet onto the sheets. “If you were anyone else saying that I’d probably kill you,” It was the closest Illumi would get to a joke about family, Chrollo laughed warmly falling back onto the bed besides Illumi.

“If I were anyone else? I think that's the closest I’ll ever get to having you admit we’re friends.” Chrollo said resting on their side, one arm propping them up as they surveyed Illumi’s face, his eyes were shut now, he looked at ease, relaxed even, lips kissable. 

“Maybe. Friends seems to be the closest word to it,” He didn't dare admit allowed what else they could be, Illumi had little experience focusing on his emotions, he had spent the majority of his life subdued, he had no time for friendships, and certainly not for love. The past few weeks with Chrollo had been one of the best times Illumi had experienced, despite most of their activities being mundane it had been fun. “Although I doubt my parents would allow it. Father always warned to stay away from the Ryodan.”

“But that made you all the more curious didn't it? Being told to stay away drew you in closer.” Their words were honest, Chrollo leaning in to brush the hair that had fallen over the assassins face, and Illumi’s eyes fluttered open once again, dark obsidian meeting charcoal grey. “You were always curious, weren’t you?”

Chrollo leaned in, bangs falling into their eyes slightly, lips parted and Illumi met them halfway, kissing them softly in the dimly lit bedroom, hand stroking the side of Illumi’s face as they pulled apart.

“You could say I still am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading I hope you've enjoyed it~ All feedback is adored and treasured so please let me know what you think!!


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